Our Family

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Even though I received the greatest gift of my life in 2010, I must say that I am looking forward to a new year and all that it brings. I'm praying that my life will become more settled and am praying for the wisdom to make some big decisions.

Our Christmas was wonderful. Christmas Eve, Joey, Karaline, and I were Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus in our church's service. When we were asked to do it, Joey and I of course said yes, but I had no idea how authentic our costumes would be. Joey was sooo funny as he dressed...he was super sweaty before we even began. I felt sorry for the Joseph of the next service :}

We woke up around 8ish on Christmas day. I let Joey sleep in a little because I'm sure this may be the last one where we have that luxury. Once Joey woke up, we exchanged gifts and as usual, Joey overdid himself. I was very spoiled. We then went to church. After church we decided to go home to visit family. Initially we stayed in Lakeland because I am worried about traveling 3 hours in a car with Karaline. However, the trip went well. Everyone was very excited to see us - as were we.

My parents got Karaline the cutest little rocking horse. Of course she can't ride it yet, but my mom said she couldn't pass it up :} Karaline has been enjoying her swing that Joey and I got her. She will swing and swing just watching the mobile.

In other news, today was Karaline's shot visit. I have been dreading it for weeks. Overall {so far}, she's been fine. Of course we both cried when she got the shots and Joey hid his face, but with a little extra love and cuddles she calmed down. She slept for 3 hours after and is now back in her swing. I pray that she continues to feel okay.

Next Monday I start back to work. I LOVE my job...every part of it...however, each time I think about leaving Karaline, I get a sick, sick feeling. We are more than fortunate to have a nice lady who will be keeping her and I know she will be more than fine but I don't want to be away from her. Please keep us in your prayers.

I pray that your Christmas and New Year will be blessed. Here's to 2011~

Friday, December 17, 2010

I still can't believe how quickly time goes. We've settled nicely into our daily routines, and I'm loving every minute that I have with Karaline. It hit me the other day that I'm going to have to go back to work in less than a month, and while I love my job, I must admit that I am dreading that day. I am going to be a total wreck when it's time to leave her. I can easily spend the entire day holding her, looking at her, and playing with her. It's going to be tough. I keep telling myself that lots of people do this each and every day and it's going to be fine. I know that it will be a good experience for Karaline to get used to someone besides me caring for her. She's going to be well taken care of and loved I know.

We're getting ready for Christmas...kind of...I've only bought one gift so far. Major slacker this year but I think I have a good excuse :} Our church asked us to be Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. Joey is excited because he was baby Jesus, too. Pictures to come.

I'll leave you with 2 pictures that I took on her 1 month birthday...tear...

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Karaline is growing like a weed. I took her to the doctor today {because I was a worried mommy- but Karaline is perfectly fine}, and she weighed 11 lbs, 3 oz. I couldn't believe it. I knew her newborn clothes were getting too small, but part of me didn't want to face the reality...she's growing up. It's super sad for me.

I also can't believe she'll be 1 month old on Thursday. Time is really flying by. When I think back to the labor, it seems soooo long ago; but, when I think of how quickly she's growing, it seems soooo fast. Weird.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Yesterday was another special day for us. Karaline was Baptized. We were blessed to have many family and friends in attendance. In fact, we had over 15 people come to celebrate for her special day. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

This year, Thanksgiving had a much greater meaning. It was the first year that we did not head to my parents' house to be with our extended family, however, my parents did make the trip to see us. My sister and nephew came down on Wednesday night and stayed with us, and my parents made their journey on Thursday morning. I was a little bummed because Joey had to work, but his boss let him leave work early. He actually showed up just before we ate. It was a great surprise.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

So, Karaline has blessed our home for the past two weeks. I think we have settled in nicely, and even though you hear everyone say this...I cannot imagine our life without her. She is a great baby. She is content most of the time and usually only fusses when she's hungry or being changed.

Our biggest challenge to date is that I DO NOT want to put her down. I like to sleep with her on my chest. I've tried the bassinet several times but I always end up picking her up. It's probably more of my problem than her's. I want her with me at allllll times.

On Monday we took Karaline to the pediatrician. She weighed eight lbs, three oz. She is a healthy girl. While I was waiting to be called back, another mother and her husband, toddler, mother-in-law and baby were waiting, too. The mom asked me how old Karaline was and I told her two weeks. I asked how old her little one was and she said, "He was born last night." Of course this caught me by surprise and I can only imagine the look on my face...I said, "So, how'd you come home so quickly?" DUH...she had a home birth, but I could not wrap my head around it. I feel that I had a fairly easy delivery and all, but I cannot imagine coming home the very next day. In fact, I kept telling Joey that I'd love to stay at the hospital. Our nurses were wonderful and we had room service...HA...you can't ask for more.

We also took our family pictures on Monday. I can't wait to see them. It's the first time Joey or I have had real, professional pictures taken. Karaline was quite the trooper, too.

This week, we've had lots of visitors each day, too. On Sunday, my mom, sister, and nephew came down for a few hours. Nikki came down on Monday and stayed the night. It was a quick but great visit...I miss her soooo much. Tuesday, Sam came over and then my friend Janine came with her three kids, too. It is so sweet to watch the little ones with my little one. Today, my friend Meg brought her two boys over, too; and now, my friend Jenny is coming. We are beyond blessed with friends and family who share in our excitement over Karaline. I tell her everyday how much she is loved by so many.

Well, I wish you all a wonderful, HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I know this year Thanksgiving has a much greater meaning for us. We have always had much to be thankful for, but this year is definitely the greatest Thanksgiving to date.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Karaline Adele Oglialoro arrived on Tuesday, November 9 at 12:06 am. We couldn't be happier!!! I'll walk you through the sequence of events:

Sunday 2:00 am-9:30 am-- I began having regular contractions that were 10 minutes apart. I had weaker contractions that were in between the strong ones, so Joey called the on call doctor who said we may be coming in that day. I called my parents around 5:30 or 6:00 and they headed our way. Thankfully they were planning on making the trip anyhow because once they got here my contractions stopped. My mom and I did some shopping, she cooked a big lunch, and then they headed home.

Sunday 11:45 pm- I woke up with strong contractions. I began counting again but still tried to sleep.

Monday 3:00 am- Contractions continued to get closer together. I woke Joey up around 4:00, but we both decided that he should sleep while he could. I kept keeping track of the contractions that were getting closer and closer together.

Monday 6:00 am- I called the on call doctor. I was hoping he would tell me to wait and go into my doctor's office when they opened, however, he told me to come in. Panic began to set in. I woke up Joey, called my mom, and we frantically began to gather our things. It's amazing how many things we still had to get even though I've been packed for weeks! I told my mom to wait on coming because of the incident the day before. I was sure it was a false alarm.

Monday 7:00 am- We arrived at the hospital and went to triage. They said we were 4-5 cm dialated. Joey called my parents and they headed down. I was admitted and moved to the labor/delivery unit.

After this, I met my doctor (who is not my ob) and my nurse for the day. I really liked them both. Everything was moving along nicely and I got my epidural around 11:30. After my epidural, the doctor broke my water. Unfortunately, things began to slow down once I got the epidural. I stayed at 8 cm for 3 or 4 hours.

Our family made it down in the early afternoon. It was nice to have visitors to help pass the time for both me and Joey.

Time continued to pass, and my doctor and nurse's shift were over. I was beside myself! However, I did grow to really love my new doctor and nurse. I am very thankful for the doctor who did the delivery because we could have easily had a C-section with the amount of time it took. However, he held out and we were able to begin pushing at around 11:15. Karaline made her debut at 12:06.The nurses allowed everyone to come back and it was quite a group! Everyone was very excited to meet our new addition.

Joey and I were moved to the mother/baby unit around 1:30 or 2:00 am. By this point, I was exhausted. Sleepiness aside, we had a great first night.

We were able to leave the hospital on Thursday to come home. My mom, sister, and nephew came down for the day. We had a few more last minute things to pick up so my mom was able to help with that. She ended up staying the night and leaving early on Friday morning.

We are so in love. I keep looking at her and thinking that I can't believe she's really here.

We've had lots of visitors, calls, emails, and cards. Thank you all for your continued prayers throughout the pregnancy, and thank you for the continued prayers as we embark on this new journey in our lives. We pray to be the best parents for our sweet Karaline.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

So I think I should ban myself from watching A Baby Story. I become far too emotional when I see the births. Before I was pregnant, I was never able to watch the "yucky" parts. I couldn't stand seeing the needles, the epidurals, and especially the deliveries. However, now, I am fascinated. I can't stop watching. The best part is that I don't get freaked out like I thought I would. Joey always tells me to close my eyes or not watch but I'm fine! But, I'm telling you, once the baby is out and given to his or her mom, I cannot stop crying! It's such an overwhelming feeling. I wonder how I'll feel after Karaline's born. We'll know soon enough! :)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Today was our weekly appointment. It was a big one because we were able to get our sonogram! I couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited :) The only sad part was that Joey couldn't take off of work so he had to miss it. He was very bummed, but thankfully Sam was able to go with me.

Karaline was very active during the sonogram so it was difficult for the tech to measure her at first. However, we did find out that she's measuring at 7 lbs. 3 oz (give or take a pound). My doctor thinks that she's closer to the 6 lb range because of my size. Her head is in the 70 percentile and her belly is in the 98 percentile! I LOVE chunky babies so that is just fine by me!

Because she was so busy, I was worried that we wouldn't have too many great still shots, however, we got lucky! The tech took two 3D pictures which turned out really great. Again, it showed that she definitely has my nose. She also got a cute foot shot and Joey says that she has my feet for sure, too! :)

When I dropped Sam off at school, I showed the pictures to some of the girls I work with. One immediately said that she looks like her daddy and the other said it's a good mixture between the two of us. I knew Joey would love to hear that so I called him right away. His response was priceless: "What, she has your nose, profile, and feet, and she has my belly?" HA! I didn't say it, but it could be true :)

We're still on the week by week appointment so we'll go back next Monday. I cannot believe how close we are to seeing our baby girl. It's crazy how quickly time has passed.

On another note, I found this verse yesterday while waiting in the deli line (in my riding cart- can't wait for that part to be over!) at Publix. It's in a prayer book for little girls, and I think it pretty much sums up my prayer for Karaline:

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God." Phil 1: 9-11 (New Living Translation)

For cookies: In a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and eggs. Mix and add the pumpkin. Mix to incorporate. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix well. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool on racks. When cool, ice with cream cheese frosting.

For icing: In a mixer, add the cream cheese. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little more milk. Fold in the lemon zest. When cookies are cool, spread frosting on cookie.

Add a pecan for garnish, if you'd like.

OKAY, so doesn't that sound delicious?! What a perfect fall recipe!

The doctor keeps complimenting me and telling me I look great. Friends and family keep talking about my weight gain. Sadly, I'll probably gain the 25 + pounds after Karaline is born because I'm going to go on a carb binge! Watch out breads, pasta, fruit, pizza, cookies, candy, Coke, etc...You don't stand a chance :) Anyone who comes to visit us in the hospital, feel free to bring any of these items with you!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Today we went to the doctor. We're now on the weekly schedule...EEEK!!! How quickly time moves. Everything went wonderfully with one exception. My best friend since elementary school, Nikki, is getting married November 6. Of course, this is a day that best friends should share. She was in my wedding, now it's time for me to be in hers. Sadly, my doctor has a differing view. Since I've been put on bed rest, I was more than afraid that this would happen. I accepted and handled the fact that I missed her shower (one that I was helping to host) and her bachelorette cruise, but knowing that I have to miss the wedding is hard for me to swallow.

Of course, Nikki is more than understanding. It doesn't make it easier though. I know it will be fine and I've been told this by everyone a million times. I can see the big picture and fully understand, but today, I am sad, and I'll probably be sad on her wedding day, too.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Yesterday was our childbirth class. I must say that I was not looking forward to it AT ALL! I'm not sure if I was opposed to it because it was allllll day long or because it was on my birthday or because I figure childbirth is natural and it will be fine. Either way, the only thing that excited me about it was that I would be able to be out for the whole day!

It turned out that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it actually moved along well. No parts seemed to really lag. Some of the questions that I had were answered so that is always helpful. A few times in the class Joey and the guy in front of us would start laughing and had a hard time getting control of it. Of course, this would then make me laugh. I'm going to chalk it up to awkward laughing. Here we are sitting in a class filled with strangers watching birthing videos, talking about personal things, and practicing relaxation and breathing techniques.

At one point, I just knew we were going to be asked to leave. We were on the floor practicing our relaxation techniques. The calming music is playing and the person on the CD is talking in a very calm voice. I'm totally NOT in to this kind of thing. Then, she starts saying things like, "Imagine that your right arm is heavy...sooooooo heavy... you can barely lift it..." I roll my eyes at Joey and say, "Really?" That was all it took. He began laughing so hard that he had to hide his face in my pillow, which caused me to laugh. We couldn't gain the control back because once we thought we were back in control, she'd instruct us to imagine that another part of our body was heavy....sooooooo heavy...and it would start again. This probably does not seem as funny now, but it was then. Needless to say, I will not be practicing that relaxation method.

In other news, we go back to the doctor on Monday. I've got my list of questions for him. Next Monday we'll have our last sonogram. I cannot believe it's already here. I mean, we only have 4.5 weeks left. It is crazy!!!!!!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Yesterday after church, my parents came down for the day. It's always great to see them. We enjoyed a nice lunch from Crispers. On Saturday night, I started thinking about going ahead and packing my hospital bag for the "just in case." I'm not quite sure how far in advanced one should do this, but since I wasn't prepared for bed rest, I decided I'd be as prepared for the hospital visit as possible! So, after lunch, my mom, dad, and I went and got some pajamas. This was the first time I'd been to a store in soooo long! I actually did a little walking, but don't worry, it wasn't a big store and we weren't there too long :) I found a robe and a few pair of pjs so I'm going to start packing my bag.

Last week, I washed all of Karaline's newborn and 0-3 month clothes. I'll work on her bag, too. This is all so new to me so I'm really having to rely on the internet for all of the "what to advice." I'm hoping that we'll just be extra prepared and the bags will stay packed for at least another month!

My mom took a few pictures of me and Joey while she was here. Here are my favorites :)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

We went back to the doctor on Monday afternoon and had another good report! This is the critical week that we've been working towards and we made it. Yay! Sadly, I am still on bed rest. The doctor mentioned that he may lift some of my restrictions when we reached the 34th week, but when I mentioned it, he said that bed rest has been too good to me and we don't want to chance anything. I am slightly bummed but I've made it this long so I know I can make it longer. In fact, I'm actually beginning to get accustomed to my new life in bed. I still have days of stir-craziness, but overall making it.

The doctor is very happy with my sugar levels. In fact, he gave me a high five :) I have to admit that I have been cheating a bit more than when I first started. I feel like I've earned it. I always feel guilty after a cheat, but boy oh boy does it make me happy (and fill me up) when I do cheat. Even when I cheat, my levels don't get too high though. This is the only reason I continue to cheat.

My dad gave me this really cool book called The Calorie King: Calorie Fat and Carbohydrate Counter. It's a great book for diabetics or those looking to watch what you eat. It has every single imaginable food and drink along with restaurants and their foods. It lists the calories, fats, and carbohydrates. It's amazing!!!! It only costs $8.99.

Again, thank you all for your continued words of encouragement and faithful prayers. Joey and I really appreciate you all!

Monday, October 11, 2010

This past weekend was a very fun-filled, eventful, busy weekend. Saturday was my first shower hosted by Sam and Ms. Cathy. Everything was absolutely beautiful! It was far beyond what I could have imagined. I haven't enjoyed myself so much in a long time. Great friends and family + great food = great fun :)

The "pregnant" shot.

The yummy, adorable cake made by Sam.

Sam also made the "Karaline" name tag with her Circuit. She's sooo talented!

Me and Mama

Advice book signed by all of the guests. Look at the tissue paper flowers...again, made by Sam :)

Beautiful tea cups for the party.

On Sunday, Sam came back over and we sorted everything from the baby's room and got it set up!!! It looks great! I am sooooo happy with the finished product! :)

My Aunt LuAnn made all of Karaline's bedding. I love it!! Stephanie made Karaline's monogram. View from the door. Aunt LuAnn made the window curtains, too.See the tissue paper flowers in the corner?To the left of the crib is the rocking chair. The chair was this mauve color and Aunt LuAnn recovered it for me. Gram crocheted the blanket for us, too!

Karaline's closet minus her newborn to 3 month clothes that are in the laundry.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Oh what I wouldn't do to have you back in my life. I never realized how much I depend on and need you. You fill me up...literally. Since I've not been able to partake in your goodness I have noticed a large hole in me...mainly in my stomach! Even though I am comforted in knowing that we will be reunited soon enough, I still cannot help but think of all I'm missing - bread, pasta, cereal, fruit, cookies, Coke, potatoes- just to name a few. It's most difficult for me when everywhere I look, I'm faced with advertisements, recipes, or the actual food. Through all of this, I have learned that I am much stronger than I thought. I can resist you-even when I do not want to. Soon enough...soon enough, we will be reunited! Until then, I'll be missing you!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Today, I had a doctor's appointment later in the day, so Joey and I went by my school first. I was able to see my kids and read them a story. Boy have I missed them! They are such a sweet group. Of course I got lots of hugs and stories to fill me in on what I have missed. :)

After leaving the school we went to the appointment. I've been worried about my sugar levels because they've been slightly elevated since the weekend and I'm not quite sure why; but my doctor says they're fine. We listened to the heartbeat (still my most favorite sound in the world!) and he measured my belly. He was able to tell me that she's in the normal range (YAY!). I've been slightly worried about that because last week I'd lost 8 pounds compliments of my "new diet." SO...if you're ever looking to lose weight quickly, eat absolutely NO CARBS! It'll drop right off of you. He's not concerned by the weight loss though so I'll try not to be as well.

Then, he examined me and found that my cervix is thicker!! This is GREAT news!!! The doctor says that he is more than pleased with the progress and will see me in 2 weeks! Woo-hoo!!! 2 weeks will be our 34 week mark :) Can't wait to see what we'll find out then.

Thank you all for your faithful prayers and of course, please keep them coming!

Friday, September 24, 2010

I've always known how incredibly blessed I am to work at the school I work. My favorite part about it is that everyone is like a family and pulls together for anyone in need. It's a true blessing! Well, today I was on the receiving end of this.

Sam emailed me and told me that she'd be coming over to drop something off at 2:30. Check out the pictures of what she brought:

How amazing is that?!?! If you can't tell, the poster says, "We are going crazy without Miss Kelly" and all of my sweet kids signed it. They took a picture making silly faces. Oh man do I miss them!!! I couldn't figure out how to turn the picture so it would show correctly :(

Yesterday's appointment went rather well. YAY! :) Overall, my doctor is very pleased with all of my sugar levels...whoo-hoo. I told him that I am rather miserable not being able to eat any carbs and he said that since I'm doing such a great job I can introduce a few here and there...YES! ANNNNDDD, to top it off, I only have to test my sugar 2x a day instead of 4 :)

Of course I had my trusty list of questions and he answered them all graciously. My measurements are normal but her head is still down and will most likely stay that way. This means, sweet little Karaline is still ready to come. So now instead of telling Karaline we can't wait to meet her, we tell her she has to stay in for a while longer :) Ideally, I'd love for her to come on or close to her actual due date (Nov. 25) but my doctor won't answer any of those questions yet...get through these next few weeks he says.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Since I've been home for one week today, I have added many items to my "while I'm home to-do-list." One of the things I've added is reading my Bible each day. At the beginning of this year, our church did a read the Bible in 90 days Bible study and it had an amazing impact on my life.

Today in my reading, I read Psalm 3:3-4: "But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill."

This verse was what I needed today. I love how God uses His word to speak directly to me and knows just what I need to hear. I go back to the doctor and am feeling slightly anxious. However, I know that God's plans are perfect in every way and while I may not always understand His plans for me right away, I will one day look back and say, "Ohhh...now I get it."

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Romans 5:3 & 4 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that... suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

This verse has helped me to get through the last four days. Last Thursday I went to the doctor. I was having a few issues so they told me to come in. I told my director, Sam, Joey, and my mom there was no need in coming with me because I was prepared to hear, "Oh, you're overreacting. Everything is fine. This is normal,". However, this is NOT what I heard.

Before I received any news, my doctor told me that with my diabetes that I am not allowed to have ANY, I repeat, ANY carbs. This is much different from the dietitian I saw on Tuesday. He ordered a "cardboard diet" - meat and vegetables. Okay, I tell myself...we can do this...no biggie. WRONG....I'm really struggling with this!

Then he examines. He finds that Karaline's head is too low for being 30 weeks. Thankfully, everything is intact, she's just low. He said if we were at 34 weeks, he wouldn't be worried at all; but since we're still early on, we need to take precautions.

"SOOOOOO," I ask, "What does this mean?" Dr: "It means that you are on bed rest." Me: Totally shocked and completely overwhelmed, I begin to cry...not a controllable cry, but an embarrassing, can't quite pull it together cry. "What do you mean? Everything has been going so well. I mean, the diabetes has been the worst thing." {Poor guy}

He proceeds to explain to me that I am on bed rest beginning immediately. I pull myself together the best I can and we schedule an appointment for the following week. On my drive back to school, I call Joey (who left work but missed the appointment-he's not a great listener :) ) and my mom. I try and pull myself together as I get back to school. Thankfully, Sam met me outside and gave me the "get it together" look that she's good at when I need it. After telling my director and speaking with the principal and secretary who arranges leave, I was ready to tell my kids. It was rough for me because I hadn't even begun to prepare them for my leave. I also didn't have time to show my assistant, who is stepping up in my spot, everything I wanted. BUT, I know she is going to be just fine. She's an awesome teacher and I couldn't ask for a better person to take over.

I am not going to lie...this has been very difficult for me to swallow. I have not been at my finest most days. However, I have been completely overwhelmed by family and friends. Of course, Sam has been over or taken me to her place each day. My mom has come down twice- once with my dad and the next time with my sister. Joey has been trying hard but as usual, he's been my punching bag :( I'm working on being nicer to him and not losing my patience so quickly! I've received countless calls, emails, and tons of prayers. I know I wouldn't make it through without my support system.

On a positive note, Sunday my mom and sister came down. They brought some yummy no carb food. Even better than that, we got the baby's crib and changer!!! YAY! Joey and our friend Chris put it together. It looks great :) Now we need to get a mattress and dresser, finish cleaning the closet out, and we'll be ready!

Also, my friends Janine and Sam hired a cleaning lady to come over. We're waiting on her now. I'm super excited for this!!! I'm hoping this will help us to keep our house clean longer than .0001 seconds :)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

So 2 weeks ago I went for my first gestational diabetes test. I received a call later that afternoon that I had failed. I was not expecting this! Since I failed, I was scheduled to go the following week for another more extensive test. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this test because not only would I have to drink the yucky drink again (I almost got sick the first time), but I would also have to take more time off work, be at the lab for longer, and endure more needles...ugh!

The following week, I showed up for my appointment at 7:15 and was not seen until 8:15. By this time, I was very, very impatient. Thankfully I was able to be polite to the lab techs, power through the yucky drink once again, and did fine with the blood draw and finger prick. Once I came out of my first lab, Joey was waiting for me in the waiting room. Having someone to talk to helped the time to go by a little more quickly. Now, we had to sit and wait 1 hour for my next blood draw. This would continue for the next 3 hours. Of course there are many boring details in between, but by the last blood draw I was not only STARVING but my left arm felt like it was going to fall off (because they drew out of the same arm each time except one) and I was more than over sitting in the same waiting room!

After the labs, I went back to work and while my kids were at PE, I received a call from my doctor...UH-0H! I knew this could not be good. When I answered, I heard the words I was not looking forward to- "You failed all 4 of your tests." Me: "WHAT?! You have got to be kidding me!!! I have been feeling fine, not swelling, staying busy, eating well...on and on... Now what?!!" Poor nurse! She said, "Well, this means you have gestational diabetes and will need to go and see a diabetic counselor." Upon gaining my composure and mind once again, I realized that this is the worst thing that has happened to me during this pregnancy so I need to suck it up. Eating a diabetic diet is good for everyone so this could just be a life changing experience...yada yada...I'm trying to think positively!

I go on Tuesday to see a diabetic counselor and am really looking forward to finding out more about what I can and cannot eat. I'll also receive a meter which I'll use to check my blood several times a day. My doctor will monitor my numbers. Since last week, I've struggled with what to eat. The first few days I didn't want to eat any carbs or sugar and had a hard time knowing what to eat. I spent many hours online to find some things that I could eat. Please pray that I will have perseverance and willingness to eat the foods that I should! Also, please pray that I will be able to manage the diabetes through diet and exercise.

On a brighter note, Karaline is growing and growing (I know some of you are saying, "duh", but it still amazes me how each day she is so different). Currently, I have the joy of feeling her in my ribs pretty much all of the time...oh wow! I have never loved and hated something so much :) She is also moving more and more. You can feel her body when you touch my belly and she is beginning to respond back to taps on the belly! We are loving her more and more each and every day! 11 weeks and counting!!!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

1) I started back to work 3 weeks ago. Tomorrow the kids will come so for the last few weeks I've just been moving, unpacking, arranging, rearranging, and planning! Last Wednesday I got to meet my new group of students and parents. Any hesitation I was having about teaching preschool is now gone. I'm very excited, although, I'm not going to lie...I am a tad bit nervous about tomorrow.

2) We finally decided on a name for our sweet baby...if you're my friend on Facebook you probably already know...KARALINE ADELE. It was a tough choice and we had narrowed it down to Karaline and Katherine. I've always wanted my name to be in a song, Joey and I both loved the name Karaline, and she and I will have the same initials...KAO. :) We decided to spell her name differently because of the initials and I don't want her to be called "Carol. No offense to any Carols out there, but I just would rather a different nickname. Adele was Joey's mom's middle name. We'd chosen to use Adele early on.

I must admit, though, she is already a little vain...We've played her Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" many, many times and each time she hears it she goes wild! The other night we were at dinner at Sam's and her boyfriend Matt began playing the guitar for her. She enjoyed that too. Maybe she'll have a musical talent...I know I sure don't!

3) Lately, I've been really stressing on all of the "to-do's" that I had yet to do. I have realized that I am a complete procrastinator until the very last minute. Anyhow, I was able to get much of it accomplished last week thanks to Sam and my Aunt LuAnn and Uncle PeeWee.

Sam went with me to register on Saturday. We started out at Target and were there for about an hour. It was way less stressful than the first time I went. Then, my Aunt LuAnn called. She is making our bedding and came down to go fabric shopping. We went to Joann's and got all of the fabric and such for less than $50! I love the pattern we're using, too!

These are the fabrics we're using-

Sorry these pictures are so large...I'm still learning :)The striped fabric will be used most. The pink polka-dot and solid brown will accent the stripes. The brown damask will be the window valance and maybe on the glider...we'll see!

While Aunt LuAnn and Uncle PeeWee were here, they took the bed that was in our guest room which will now be Karaline's nursery. While I was sad to see it go (because sometimes I have to sleep in there when Joey's snoring is out of control), I think I'll now be able to concentrate on clearing the rest of the room out.

After my aunt and uncle left, Sam and I headed to Brandon and finalized the registry at Babies R Us. Once we left there we came back to Lakeland, went to Kohl's and used our free $10 to spend, went to dinner at GrillSmith (YUM!), and then watched Eat, Pray, Love. The movie was good but a little too long for my liking. I think if I would have read the book, I would have enjoyed it more. Maybe if I ever start reading again, I'll try that one.

4) Tomorrow, Joey and I are going to meet the lady who may keep Karaline. She is Sam's Gram's neighbor. I've spoken with her on the phone several times and I pray that she is a good fit for us. I've definitely felt comfortable when talking with her and it's such a comfort knowing that Gram is right next door! She only keeps 4 kids at a time and is very affordable. Plus, she's right on my way to work!

Please pray for us over these next few weeks. Please pray for the upcoming school year, the finishing touches and decisions we still have yet to do, and most importantly our growing family.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Tonight while Joey and I were settled on the couch watching The Bachelorette, our little one started kicking rather hard. I told Joey to watch and we could see her kicks on the outside of my stomach. It is truly the craziest thing so far! We love her sooooo much already...it's frightening!

On another note, today was moving day at school. I am switching from first grade to PreK. I always considered myself a "first grade teacher," but when my school announced that they were opening a preschool, I couldn't get it off my mind. After lots of prayer, I decided to apply and now will be teaching it. Thankfully, Joey has Mondays off from work so he was able to come and move me from my old room to my new one. I am also very thankful for the group of cheerleaders who so graciously put all of my new furniture together!

I can't believe summertime is coming to a close. I am sad to see it go. Sadly, I have not done any of the "to-dos" on my list, but it will get done eventually. I've discovered that I would be totally content with being able to stay at home and receive a paycheck. I am excited to get back into a routine and meet my new little ones.

Monday, July 26, 2010

It took a while for me to be sure that I was feeling our little one kick. Once I felt her (and knew it was her), it was amazing! Poor Joey had to wait a while but I am happy to say that he can finally feel her move. He was so excited when he felt her. She has a powerful kick; in fact, she's woken me up a few times :) She also LOVES to move. Once I sit or lay down, she moves constantly. It can be stressful when I don't feel her after a little while

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

GIRL!!! A healthy, active girl, too! Yesterday, Joey and I went for our 20 week sonogram. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep the night before. It was like Christmas Eve. Thankfully our appointment was a 9:00 so I didn't have to wait all day. I was very nervous that our sweet baby wouldn't cooperate and we'd leave without knowing...THANKFULLY that did not happen!She showed herself right away. Initially, Joey thought he was looking at male parts and says, "I've seen all I need to see." The sonogram girl said, "You have if you're looking for a girl." Of course, Joey wanted a boy, but he is already so in love with our daughter.We took a VHS tape (yes, they still make those!) to record the sonogram. Sam's boyfriend, Matt, is going to to convert the tape to a DVD...THANK YOU, MATT!! :) Right when Joey got home from work he wanted to go over and watch the tape. It was neat to see again.After the sonogram, I had a mile-long list of people to call. My mom is more than excited to have her first granddaughter! She has said all along our baby is a girl. She would only write down girl names for me, buy girl things, and even told my aunt who is making something to not even use blue! Everyone is very excited and now we're all ready to start spoiling her!!!Yesterday was bittersweet for us while making our calls because we were not able to call Joey's mom. Last night he said that as happy and excited everyone is and was, no one would be happier than his mom. She loved babies and would always talk about her grandchildren. I told him that I know she's in heaven and was watching us all day yesterday just a crying. I know she's so proud and while she's not here on Earth to experience this with us, I know she has an even better view :)After the appointment, I went to Sam's because we were going to get pedicures sometime. She wasn't there when I got there. She was actually at our house with the balloons. How nice!!!!! Of course, after pedicures and lunch we went shopping. I tried preparing Joey for the reality that our baby is going to have more clothes than her Mama. He doesn't believe it, but he will understand very soon. :)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Joey and I are anxiously awaiting Tuesday, July 6 when we go our our next ultrasound. We cannot wait to find out our baby's gender! I'm ready to start planning, buying, decorating, etc. All along, I've been thinking that we're having a girl. Joey's been thinking (or hoping) we're having a boy :) The other day I told him that I'm starting to think we may be having a boy. Then, he tells me, he's starting to think we're having a girl! Sheesh!!! Either way, we're just ready to know. AND, I don't appreciate people's negative comments about the baby not cooperating and showing his/her stuff. :) Just kidding, but please, send some positive thoughts our way. Surely the baby wants to reveal him/herself so his/her Daddy and Mama can prepare!

It's surreal to think that next week, we'll be at our half way point...overwhelming!!!

Other than being anxious, I'm doing well. I feel great and do as little as I want. AHHH, the joys of summer. I'm thankful to have my friend Sam living close by. We go for walks around the lake. I also bought a pregnancy yoga video. I've never tried yoga before, and well, let's just say it's an experience for me. I'm not exactly the most coordinated person and yoga is a great reminder to me. I've only done it once (and not even all the way through), but I do have high hopes that I will become more proficient with it.

In other news, Joey and I are joining a church on Sunday. We've been visiting this church for a while and I am more than happy to finally be a part of a church family. They are very welcoming. We're excited to see what God has in store for us here.

I'll post again on Tuesday :) Until then, Happy 4th of July. Thankful for our freedom, thankful for our country, thankful for the men and women who serve.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

I've been a blog stalker for a while now. I always love reading what's going on in other people's lives, looking at fun pictures, and getting some crafty ideas. So, I decided I'd give blogging a try. Hopefully I'll be a faithful blogger and will be able to connect with friends and family who are not close by. We'll see how it goes!

On another note, I am sad and embarrassed to say that we have not yet done our taxes. I had every intention of doing them myself, but with my dad being sick and in the hospital for two weeks, I kind of lost time. So, I guess it's off to H&R Block today...ugh.